UPDATE: More are released on bail
The Bethal District Court granted bail to the four remaining Chinese citizens who were arrested in connection with illicit liquor in Bethal on March 3.
Cui-Ju Weng, Jian-Zu Shu, Cui-Ming Qiang and Wu-Xing Weng were released bail of R20 000 each on condition that they do not interfere with the investigation and also keep the investigating officer informed of their whereabouts.
Nepalese citizens, Hira Baha Dur Kunwar Shahi and Himel Sunar, are still in custody.
The case was postponed to May 10.
March 15
Although five of the 11 people arrested in a massive illicit alcohol trade bust in Bethal a week ago are now out on bail, they were not allowed to return to their home on the farm, Eerstegeluk.
The South African Revenue Services has seized and sealed off the farm on which they found a distillery and a vast number of goods used in the manufacturing of alcohol.
The Bethal Regional Court granted Linyinn Huang, Caincing Weng and Caigan Weng bail of R20 000 each on condition that they keep the investigating officer informed of their movements and that they do not interfere with the investigation.
The Bethal Police, Secunda Crime Intelligence, Secunda Bomb Disposal Unit, Secunda K9 unit, Secunda Public Order Police, Bethal Community Policing Forum (CPF), MavCorp High-Risk Unit and SARS officials assigned to the Illicit Trade Unit raided the farm, a diesel depot in Stasieweg and liquor stores in Bethal on March 3.
The police and SARS arrested the three, along with four other Chinese named Cui-Ju Weng, Jian-Zu Shu, Cui-Ming Qiang and Wu-Xing Weng, as well as Nepalese Hira Baha Dur Kunwar Shahi and Himel Sunar, and South Africans Gerhard Andries Jansen and Paul Nunes Da Silva on Thursday, March 3 in connection with illicit liquor products worth millions of rands.
The South Africans were released that same day on R15 000 bail each.
The suspects are facing charges of the manufacturing of liquor not in accordance with the necessary liquor licenses, the possession of stolen goods, contravening the customs act and three charges of counterfeit goods. The last charges relate to bottle caps and label stickers for Smirnoff Vodka.
The charges of manufacturing liquor without complying to the necessary licenses relate to the group’s distillery where they make their own brands, namely Black Mamba Vodka, Big Five Dry Gin, King Africa Whiskey and Makhani Brandy.
This is according to their lawyer, Leo Joubert who said his clients are accused of not fully complying with the regulations.
The Customs Act was allegedly contravened when tax was not paid on products that were destined for export but then diverted back into the domestic market.
During the raid on the diesel depot, a truck with 10 pallets of duty-free liquor were confiscated.
Similar goods and products were also confiscated at two liquor outlets in Bethal that day.
These shops were back in business on after the Wengs and Huang were released. They were able to provide the court with documents that they have permanent residency in South Africa.
The remaining six suspects remains in custody until the Department of Home Affairs official, David Morgan, can establish their legal status in the country.
The case was postponed to Tuesday, March 15.
